The easiest question you could be asked is “What’s your name?”. Should be simple right? Well, I don’t really know my name. Depending on the group of people, I get called a different name. To the people I meet through mutual friends, I’m Kwon. To people I meet myself, I’m Andrew. Sometimes, I’ll introduce myself as Andrew, but over time, I get called Kwon. Why I get called by my last name instead of my first name by some but not all is a mystery to me. But at the end of the day, whatever my name is to others isn’t a big deal for me since I like both names. 

My first name is a pretty popular name, especially here in the US. From 1986 to 2007, “Andrew” was in the top ten in the U.S. (Popularity of Name Andrew). The name Andrew has a few different meanings, but it generally comes from Greek, meaning manly or strong (Meaning & History of Andrew).  I’ve met plenty of other Andrews, but interestingly, quite a few of them go by nicknames derived from Andrew (i.e. Drew, Andy, etc). Personally, I never saw the point of a nickname for Andrew, since it's already a simple and easy name. My parents’ reasoning for my name is twofold. One reason was because of a popular band’s (Duran Duran) guitarist Andrew Taylor. The other reason is Andrew was one of the names of the twelve disciples of Jesus. This also makes sense because, in the Bible, Andrew has a younger brother named Peter, which is also my younger brother’s name (St. Andrew Biography). 

I find Andrew to be a great name. I like it because I never have to spell out my name or get it mispronounced. Everyone already knows the name and how to spell it, so ordering at a restaurant or getting called on by substitute teachers has never been a problem. I’m especially thankful for this fact since I have many friends with less common/harder-to-pronounce names. 

As for my last name, Kwon in Korean is actually pronounced with a G sound (think Gwon instead of Kwon), but in English, Kwon suffices. Kwon’s origin comes from Chinese and Korean origins. Depending on the sources, the name can either mean authority or was simply a name chosen to not be similar to a ruler’s name (Origin and popularity of the name KWON). Something that I like about my last name is, anecdotally, it is uncommon compared to other Korean last names (Kim, Park, Lee). 

In everyday use, my theory for why people call me Kwon instead of Andrew is that Kwon rolls off the tongue and sounds better than Andrew. It could also be Andrew is pretty common, so just going by my last name is easier for some. Whatever the case may be, I like both equally. Whether I get called Kwon or Andrew, I love them both. Andrew since it's quick and easy, and Kwon because it's unique and memorable.  

Works Cited

“Origin and Popularity of the Name KWON.” Geneanet, en.geneanet.org/surnames/KWON. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024. 

“Meaning & History of Andrew.” Behind the Name, www.behindthename.com/name/andrew.      Accessed 18 Feb. 2024. 

“Popularity of Name Andrew.” Social Security, www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024. 

“St. Andrew Biography - Charleroi, Donora, Monongahela, PA.” Saint Andrew the Apostle  Parish, saintandrewmidmon.org/st-andrew-biography. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.